Fuel-signal device



Dec. 16,1930. R. b. SCHNOOR 1,785,329

FUEL SIGNAL DEVICE Fi1ed March 25, 1929 INVENTOR.

, Patented Dee. 16,11930 1 f: V

is elstn easeams, muff sen his invention relates] L to laifuel signal de-' vioeor a signal device forpllquld fuel engines sion of a simple'and compactjunitary device which may be readily attaohedftoj aigasolinea driven motor car or the like for the purpose of Warning; an operator of the condition ofs the fuel supply whenjit is" low and before zit P l is exhausted, thus' -preventing.thelusual ungv; fortunate circumstaneexot motorcarstoppingq deadin hazardous pla'oesi or in fplaoes remote) from anyjfuel supplystati'o'nswhen their fuel p i the. engine 111 and iotherdevices The'usua'l? fuel supply tanks vvith'vvhich motor meme supply becomes exhausted lunexpectedly;

v Another important 'objeot of theinventioni is- 'toprovidesuch Ia d8VlC$ Wl1 lCh wlllwarn.

7 an operator as tohisfuel requirements in ampletime to permit hilnitodrivehiscar to V theinearest supply i stat-ion for fuel; even 7 20 though thestation-naay be 'severalfl niles'dis-J,

taut;

Another eet of V invei'ition isjto providesuch device which will pos'1-. 1

' tively attraet the attention of an operator,

withoutlaffecting the"v operation-pfthe motor '"end which Will'not annoy the/operator when;

fuel is not required.

'ALnother important ob ject of the. v is" to provide .such a device whioh' i'nay loe; 1 e-3Q readily. adjustedto function on motor oa'rs of different manufaoture or having' arrange ments of unhke character.,.or capac1ty;:,i

Another important object ofjthe invention" is to provide such a device'in which themov-l ing part or parts are arranged horizontally, so that the operation of -gtheifdevice will not; he materially affected by gravity or road shocks: 1 r

' understood from the'following"description,

which, taken in connection withpthegaocomdated-mechanism embodyingmy-invention.

5 form offmy fuel signaldevioei, 1'1, 1 J

E AT shbwingfthetopor the device: su oh as-:are in common usel'ln' automobiles and the like, a'n d has "forran:objeottheproviline HrinfFigi: 3 shovving- Numerous otherobieots andadvantagesof the invention will be apparent :as it is better 7 Figure leis afdiagrammatio View ot an I automoblle, englne its" supply tanks and. assoa A Fig; 2 is an elevationalvieyvfof a preferred: V v hth eme hanismsfo ni a nsree 0p:

r ri isa third angie ib ecuea fiFig 4: is ,a seot'ion taken subs antially 011a operating-sf partsofthe device,

' View wh tle:

To illustra e my inventioi Fig. '1 a diagrammatic}vievvzofEanfengine 1-1. of, a type" in oomrnon use in automohi lesi and mounted on a frame 12:11pm yvhiohlthe: usualubod-yrhaybemounted. :-A"hoo"d 13;:df; V

the usual "construction is broken away to show;

the like are equipped inolud'esa main fuelstorg f'tank 91$ and a 'secondany supplyatank 15.5 '1

' y; the en giiie :bymea'ns ofasuotion c'on'ne'o tion orvacuum through I a tube-116 connected with an Intake manifold 17%andjthetankl5; 1

ondary. tank: 15 qasindioated at.r21 conducts; fuel; fron11 -thei-tai1k 1 4 to the tank- 115." illhe; tank.1'; 5 fi1nay=be jany type ;ofz.interrniediate or fi daryrstorageitankthat will feedwa ear -1 burete'ry 22 or; like fuel atomizing. device through a ,tuhe23 or the like; in the present lnsta'n'ce I haveshownl atankiojt the type 'conr being :thefsutatioh connection. I In t the usual arrangement the tank Inonly known as a vaouunrntank; the tuhelfi 14 is I located bel w the tank'15 and-theoarbureter 22 is also located below thei t'an k *15,tl1effi1el b being periodically lifted fronith'e tankll 60f the tank and oontinuouslygfed byi from the tank mentioned the fuel is-liftedfroin, thetank 14 'andfinto the t nkirab segues nom nees; gine; through the tube l l6, and ueviee velm Fuel is drawnfromy the tankfllttdthetank. 15

b 'dy e my ii e tion d st- 1m?' e i ts eratoiriwhen'the regularrflow of fuel isinterrupted as will nowbe described.

7 slow, if the vehicleismoving Ionunlevel-thea a -gia ;wi11 notbe accessible toithe tube '18 at all As above mentioned the: vacuum is ,controlled by the tank 15 and shut oii when no fuelis required; when-fuel is required the "valve mechanism opens and gasoline is lift-1 fed, as long as there is sufficient supply in the ftankf "14-. fuel is being lifted," the weight thereof together with the frictional, resistance ofthe walls of thetube 18, resist I the vacuum and will.fhereinafter beiconsidi ered and termed the load.

When the supplyof fuel in remaining'fuel supply in flowing and splashl-ieved while-a'i ris draw-nzthrough the tube-IS, 3 flunderiall :suchconditions therelis niore fuel? available if'ithe machine .is; kept. in mot iori' f "so that the remaining. fuel will splash and: flow or periodically submerge the end of the j aT-he device 24; whieh willinowbegde-scribed, isapreferred formof my invention andfmay =be associated withthe tube-16inany'suitable manner, in the-present jinstanc'e' tlie device is? connected between the tube 16"'andthe tanktube :18. Frdm the above it will be evident ',i that a deviceassociated with'the'se tanks and dev'icesand arranged to detect-the' absence of a load inithe tube $18 org when air is taking the" place offuel,may be utilized to signal anJop eratoriand indicatefloy intermittent or icontinuous s ignals5 fthecondition of'his, fuelsnprply; V

15 and includes a housing orfbo'dypart 31,fa

15istbn32, a rpressure'plunger. 33', a ca s 'apd an' alarni or'whistle 35. 1 -1 r to The body 311nayqbe' "of any area-ai with internal threads 4:6, corresponding :with

the threads soflthat the device, may be con- 5 'nected between the usual fitting on the tube .6- and th tank *lsw hou me sp or additional fittings. The cylinder '38 may of any suitable size and is preferably formed r'toprovi de a threaded portion 4c7' adjaent-its ene u. Thehorn" 39jinay be of suitable size. and'shap' that will Provide. a j'cha'fnber 4'8 and-that will pe'rmit ofattach ingth'e alarm nausea-35.1. valve seat {L9,

which iifoiihs a part of-"the; alarm, ispreierany pressed intefthechamber 4s; substantial lyas js'howmfprovi'ding a chamber 51. i The valve-seat 491s rented to provide an opening 52 'whichfis arranged to form a valve seat for controlling: the whistle. "Itiwill be under- Thpiston 32 preferably formed to provide a-pointed stem or needle 55and ahead 56. vThe head 56 is preferably disc shaped and forms affree'fitting piston in-the' cylinder stood that other indicating devices may be 7 readily substitutedffor the whistle; and its The stem 55 extends through the channcl 4A andithechamber .51 for operating the alarm o'rfto engage the valve seat 49, and is- 1 V guided to the seat dnringclosing actionby'a theme]; 14 gets I d ;t"on 32 :isj-preferably arranged horizontally substantially as shownso that the operation bearing .p'orti0n'57 of thebody 31; Y The pisthereofwill not be :materially affected by gravity 'ore'road shocks;

-, The piston 33is providedtonormally hold,

the piston'32 Ina-normal position. oragainst the seat-A9; as {may be accomplished by a spring;interposed between thecap 34 and the 'piston32 exceptthat the piston 33 is-1pre'ferably-arranged: iormain' oriulliactuation by atmosphericipressuresopthat the pressure: of

the plunger will varydirect-ly with any, variations' in thejsu'ction or vacuum pressure. The

,pi'ston33isslideably mounted ini'a bearing member 61 which isormaybesuitab'ly secured to thecap 3 4;,'a s}indicated A. fianged' cap member-62 may be secured; to the :piston 33 lightly urge the' piston 33;; against the piston 32-fa-nd injturn" the piston againstfthe seat The ca formed of sheet metal and to provide a threaded portion 64,

for-engagingfthe' threaded abortion 47 of the 'body il, and an annnlar 'iportion' 65 arranged substantiallyparallel; with the end surface of the cy-linder .38. j The bearing 61; maybe secured to the cap 34Linan'y suitable manner.

' The-alarmwhistlei35ymay beflfany device that will 'signalanbperator and is preferably a devicethat w-ill' generate asoundof a Chan acter 'di'fierent frornfany soundzcommon to the machine 'ZLIPOII 'which thedeviceis used. In

the presentiinstance I have shown ardisc whistle, formed o'fstwo centrally 'apertured discs. '-A disc fidinwardlyofiset-and formed to-fitthe'end'oiithe'horn 39,1and a disc-67 outwardly {offset and] provided with'ia flange 68 which maybe curled over a rim 69 of the horn39 foresecuring the whistle3'5 to the horn andthefabove rnentloned valve for controllingthe flow of=air"through the discs.

' In QPeratiOn,the-tube 16 is connected to thesuction connectionor outlet 37 and-the stem 36,01 yacuum connection is connected to the tank 15, asabovegdescrib'ed, therefore any air 'eoming' fromij jthetank '15 passes throughthechannel into the cylinder at the le'ft side Fig. of the piston 56; and ma pass outoffthe cylinder through. the

channels 4E3'and 44' the channel43 drawing K,air 'frointhe space p .56 and;the"channel 44 d'r the space-gm the left F-i isiof restricted- 7 fuel? Th F V n about doiibl'efthe sin .6aitheredf toward; or! may se a ateen s 1:w strfi n ieme I 'in all channels m theadevlce 3751179 iiVHi'Ch' is ilielddclolsed tm gpl P es -ateth uglr-the ime of the valve is shown F1 cl1a inber'5 1* for operating-1:136 v p lifting the valve pin'55 fromthe seat49b ,The

by aajustirig-wheat 84 t oi-ing th 38;upon Whichth s l a.

v'vliich this device prfess nside his 100 b'etwfifiri the channels i and 41f1fl s'a'vfiopeatb theidghtcf tonaiid lovvered'tdtheleft ofthepistbn by added voluine of air and he-parentsm ws;

to the rightfopening I "thfdaghth e, l1ist1ei'35, b r

pressii td-operate the" alarm or the, channel 421:0 'thefchaintier opening 52 is preferablyoif less'diatneterthan the channel-42' s'oj that-there is still vacuum pressure Within the device While the whistle i operates and so that, if fuel'is receivedifroni the tank 14, the whistle will be closed); The

incidental drop in pressuredue cooperation oif'thewhistle doesnot materially affect the the device, nordo the Vacuum pressure changes due tovariations-ofmotor speed and 1 acceleration, since the device operates on pressure developed by a volume of'airppassing through the channel llv andinto thecylinder 38 or through the device. a

It is thought thatthe invention and many of its attendant advantages Willfibe Linden; stood from the foregoing description, and it; will be apparent thatvariouschanges may, ,I be made in the form, construction andQar-QQ rangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or

sacrificing allot itsmaterial advantages, the

form hereinbefore described being inerely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l conipri'sifn anism of thetthiilt ionsingTto open and c'los'e said val "'Ill'ld predetermined} conditions alarm 7 mechanism tim controllingsaid last nalne'd a. connection to the outside at V w enns m ne; conne t1on 1301 the itside ce associated with said-last;

g" the connection) and a" piston arranged r i in, said housing and-wadapted rogqcona i gby qugh"said"hons ngto open 1 valveli ndei p determined ne'ction, j a vacuum .conne'ctin,

.l v. l i h 'co i c m nd' ip t narranged; iffecelvedjfrom' n which will'exceedthe ca a'mg q inT'sai hou 11g andadapted'foractuationbjr vacuum connect n controlling sai last-named: c nnection; arE-f din "said housingifand' lfoi" 'fcontr'olito l predetermined fconditions,by through saidfliiidchann-els "ceVof thej chara'c described, b a us ai a f i hd l vlnefl e ti e vacuunrconne ction, aj 1 11 S hav n 'u i iz w g said suction connecone' connectlon to the out-side;- air, alarm dev'ce in saidrlastfnamed connection, and ism for; controlling said 'llastj named e ojfisaidconnectionsand said-fluid '6. AfIdeV-ice ofl -lthei ch ractei desicribed,

sactijon cenneetionf avacuum connection, and i a: as; oiie onn" tien tqthe qutsidejai an 'ev c'e aid last-na ned connection,

'V;suctloniconnect on,"a vacuum connectlon, and 4 ii'?alar1n de- "7,;-

e I devw ofth h b descrlbed 1 v pr sing aeh s ngr en device-"0 an 11' ,aaei ,d's i ited g-f fel -{housing having n including-a valve control z housing, said housing having, p

e developed b'y fiuid passing through cliannelsfchnnecting dslaidlzvacuunicona y can t man a as rcont 1-bit awa t-teas f comprising;a honsingsaid" housing having a 1 

